God's purpose of making man in His image requires free moral agency, so God does not control individual decisions but instructs, commands, and lets people choose, as with Adam and Eve and Israel in Deuteronomy 30. The image He is forming is a character, not a shape, and it can be attained only by freely submitting to His way. Scripture's word for submission, hupotasso, means arranging oneself under, something a person does for himself rather than something imposed from outside. The carnal mind cannot do this, but God's Spirit makes it possible after conversion. Human nature, driven by pride, fear, and covetousness, seeks to control itself and others, and worldly rulers apply external force to bring order. Jesus says it shall not be so among His people. God's government depends on each person governing himself so as never to exceed the limits of the authority God has given him. Adam and Eve overstepped those limits, as do rulers who take more authority than they were given. Church government derives its authority from God like civil government, but it is not itself the government of God, which is in heaven under Christ. Believers submit to every human ordinance, even harsh authority, following Christ's example, and disobey only when a command would require sin, while still accepting the penalty. Godly character results from self-government: using God's Spirit to choose right against impulse and temptation.

Internal self-control emerges as the essential principle that distinguishes God's government from every form of human bureaucracy, and understanding this contrast illuminates the entire purpose of God's plan of salvation. Beginning with observations on how human jurisdictions require ever-expanding bureaucracies as populations grow—from a single self-governing individual to families requiring rules, to nations requiring millions of government employees—a striking calculation follows: if the Great White Throne judgment period resurrects perhaps 75 billion people, applying even conservative government-employee percentages would require billions of bureaucrats. This absurdity reveals that God and Christ have devised a fundamentally different solution: self-government, not the rebellious "sovereign citizen" mentality that rejects all authority, but the voluntary submission of people who acknowledge God as Sovereign and control themselves according to righteous character developed through imitating Christ. This self-governance operates through internal transformation rather than external coercion. Those resurrected in the second resurrection, freed from Satan's interference and with the Holy Spirit freely available, will readily submit to God, learn righteous character, and be judged according to their works exactly as the called are judged now. The ultimate goal of the Great White Throne judgment is to exterminate sin and unrighteousness entirely, so that by the time of the New Heavens and New Earth, all beings present will possess the mind of Christ so fully that external government becomes unnecessary—everything will be written internally, on hearts and minds. Christ Himself modeled this path: self-control first, then control. Though equal with God, He emptied Himself, became a bondservant, and humbled Himself to death, only afterward being exalted with all authority. This pattern—servanthood and self-mastery preceding rulership—stands opposite to carnal human ambition, which covets power through selfish ambition and conceit. Believers are commanded to cede control rather than grasp it, esteeming others' interests above their own. The Greek term enkratenomai (self-control) appears throughout Paul's and Peter's writings as a consistent requirement: athletes discipline their bodies for a perishable crown, but Christians pursue an imperishable one through the same self-mastery. This is why self-control appears last among the fruits of the Spirit—it is often the hardest to attain, requiring years of trials like those endured by Jacob, Moses, Gideon, and David, each shaped by God until they mastered specific areas of weakness. Because human nature resists restraint and seeks self-indulgent outbursts, believers must actively cultivate self-control now, especially as the world spins toward the Day of the Lord. Being "sons of light" means remaining sober and self-controlled rather than spiritually asleep, preparing for the resurrection by governing oneself internally. This same standard will ultimately apply to all humanity: those who develop self-controlled, godly character will live eternally as spirit beings requiring no external government, while those who refuse will face the Lake of Fire—demonstrating that internal control, not external coercion, is the defining mark of God's eternal Family.

Youth, according to Solomon's teaching in Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, is meant to be a season of joy, experimentation, and freedom, yet it must be lived within boundaries, because God will bring every action into judgment. This tension between enjoying life and being accountable to God reveals that true maturity depends on developing internal control rather than merely external restriction. Solomon does not instruct the young to withdraw from life into rigid piety, but to pursue good and lawful pleasures, expanding their skills, creativity, and horizons, while recognizing that God's law still governs their choices. The freedom to explore is not freedom from responsibility; it is freedom exercised through self-discipline within divine boundaries. This principle extends to how parents should raise children. Rather than being overly restrictive out of fear of worldly influence, parents are called to teach God's commandments diligently and then gradually grant their children increasing freedom to make decisions, allowing them to build responsibility through experience. Ephesians 6:1-4 and Colossians 3:20-21 capture this same tension: children must be brought up in the instruction of the Lord, yet parents must not provoke them to anger by being excessively controlling. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 reinforces this by showing that parents must not only teach God's law verbally but embody it in every aspect of life, since children learn hypocrisy or sincerity by observing behavior more than words. This modeling is essential for shaping internal, rather than merely external, control in a child. The goal of this training is that godly principles move from being outward rules to becoming intrinsic to one's character, so that obedience arises naturally from within rather than through compulsion. As with the New Covenant itself, where God's law is written on the heart rather than imposed externally, the aim is that individuals live according to God's way because it has become part of who they are, not because they are forced to comply. This is the essence of true self-government under God. Ecclesiastes 11:10 reinforces this idea by urging the young to "remove sorrow" and "put away evil from the flesh," meaning that youth is the ideal time to master one's desires and establish godly habits, since patterns formed in youth tend to persist into adulthood. Learning self-control early, rather than merely restraining behavior through outside enforcement, is presented as the true mark of maturity. Ultimately, youth is not a time for either reckless indulgence or fearful confinement, but a critical window for developing the internal discipline and character that will define one's life, both under the sun and, more importantly, in relation to God's eternal judgment.